Exposing an undercover CIA operative who specialized in Weapons of Mass Destruction is trivial? The politics here were all about attempting to silence anyone who was thinking about speaking out, as Ambassador Wilson had. It wasn't the left who played that card.

As it turned out, Wilson spoke much too late, unfortunately, regarding the truth about Iraq's attempt (or lack there of) to obtain uranium from Niger. The White House even agreed that the infamous "16 words" should not have been in the State of the Union address.

So what's the punishment for the Los Angeles Times reporter, who did all but name the US station chief in Rome, this week. Back in the
70s, Cannistraro, George (future DDO) Vreeland
(future Bolton critic)Avrakotos (future Afghan
war cut out) and Richard Welch (who never had
a future) had their covers blown by Agee, with
the approval of future Clinton administration
apparatchik, Halperin & Lake, Another reporter,
Jason Vest,of the Nation and Boston Phoenix, revealed the name of the new DDO and his chief staff; without any questions

american woman,

Evidently you just got around to the Wilson-Plame news yesterday and haven't yet caught up on the past year or two.

First, there's a question as to whether Plame was still considered undercover. Her position with the CIA was widely known in her social circles, and she hadn't actually been undercover for many, many years. It now appears unlikely that any law was broken.

The current investigation is an attempt to determine whether Plame was outed as payback for Wilson's 'speaking out.' That's what Wilson says, but he's hardly the last word. Robert Novak, who is in a better position to know, says he was told that Wilson was recommended by his wife the analyst as an explanation for why such an unqualified fool was given the assignment.

Wilson misrepresented his findings about Iraq's attempt to purchase uranium from Niger. In fact, Saddam's then-Defense Minister, later known as Baghdad Bob, led the delegation. Officials in Niger told Wilson that there was only one export they could possibly have wanted. Uranium is Niger's only international export.

The White House agreed that the 16 words should not have been in the SOTU address only because they quoted British Intelligence rather than US sources. The Brits stood by their intel, and stand by it to this day. They have since revealed that it was obtained from French Intelligence. French companies hold a monopoly on uranium mining in Niger.

As it turned out, Wilson spoke much too late, unfortunately, regarding the truth about Iraq's attempt (or lack there of) to obtain uranium from Niger. The White House even agreed that the infamous "16 words" should not have been in the State of the Union address.

Please disregard that last paragraph. It is a quote from american woman's comment, and therefore inaccurate.

1) I believe it was George HW Bush who said anyone who leaks the identity of a CIA undercover operative was a "traitor"...And you are deliberately misrepresenting the issue here - it isn't the press leaking the identity of the CIA agent being investigated, its the identity of the senior WH official who leaked it to the press being investigated.
2) Special Counsel Fitzgerald has had testimony from at least 6 jounalists on who leaked the info, including Novak, and will soon have Cooper's info. If he already knows who leaked the identity, why continue the investigation and pull more testimony from two more reporters? We can't be sure until he releases his info, but speculation is that the initial statements given him by some in the White House doesn't jibe with evidence since collected, and the investigation has moved to one of perjury and/or obstruction of justice against someone(s) in the Admin. This makes sense, given his insistence he get evidence from Cooper/Miller.
3) I notice everyone ignores the fact the exposing Plame also exposed the company she worked for as a CIA front. And its been noted that within a day of Novak exposing her, dozens of reps from several unfriendly (and even friendly) nations were digging into identification of all the firms employees, since they were all CIA undercover ops! In fact, we haven't a clue how many agents ended up burned, and how much damage it may have done to national security (the GOP quickly tried to turn this aside by claiming everyone knew Plame was an agent; if so, why did the CIA continue with the cover firm, since it was burned, until AFTER Novak wrote his piece?). Truth is, the right doesn't give a hoot about national security, only political power, and this exposed just how hypocritical and arrogant they are.